"The Kylian who was scary at PSG... I don't see him" - Real Madrid fan delivers verdict on Mbappe after Villarreal clash
Real Madrid's summer marquee signing Kylian Mbappe has been unable to live up to the hype so far this season. A Los Blancos fan's admission that he is waiting to see the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) version of the Frenchman in Madrid has gone viral.
Kylian Mbappe started his Real Madrid career with a goal, scoring in his team's 2-0 UEFA Super Cup win over Atalanta. Since then, he has been blowing hot and cold, with experts speculating if a change in position - he is playing as a striker under Carlo Ancelotti - is leading to his inconsistencies.
Although the 25-year-old has scored five times in as many La Liga appearances for the club, he has found the back of the net only twice from open play. The other three goals have been from the penalty spot, which has led fans to question his contribution to the side.
The France international failed to score in the Merengues' 2-0 win over Villarreal on Sunday (October 6) that briefly got them level on points with league leaders Barcelona. He failed to have an impact in the 71 minutes he played before being substituted for Rodrygo.
Football and Real Madrid fan channel El Chiringuito spoke to the club's fans after the Villarreal match. The supporters expressed their displeasure at Mbappe's performances so far this season, with one of them delivering a scathing verdict.
"The Kylian who was scary at PSG… I don’t see him [at Madrid]," the fan said.
Real Madrid are unbeaten so far in the league with six wins and three draws in nine matches. However, they find themselves three points behind Barcelona, who are enjoying a great start to the season under former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick.
"Mbappe has thrown the French support away" - French journalist on the Real Madrid forward
Kylian Mbappe was recently left out of France's squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium. The reason cited was that the team captain was recovering from an injury.
However, Mbappe's inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti's starting XI against Villarreal has left fans of Les Blues incensed. The French football fans were already upset with the forward for leaving PSG for Real Madrid in the summer, but always supported him when he donned the French jersey.
According to La Parisien journalist and France football expert, Alexandre Aflalo, fans are livid with their international team captain after he opted out of Didier Deschamps' squad for the upcoming international matches.
Aflalo posted his assessment of the mercurial forward's inclusion in the Real Madrid XI for the Villarreal match on his X account:
"After all the off-field drama at PSG, the French national team was the only place where Kylian Mbappé still had broad support. But in just six months, he’s thrown that away—and this time, it’s hard to point the finger at anyone else."
Kylian Mbappe will remain in Madrid and continue to build up his fitness as the club aims to catch up to Barcelona in the league and defend its Champions League title.